Spain never had the rich operatic tradition of Italy, Germany, France or even Russia, but the country did have its own tradition of lighter musical theater— the "zarzuela" — a genre that flourished well into the 20th century. Spanish operas, however, are relatively uncommon on today's stages.

The 5-year-old Boulder Opera Company, whose economical but innovative productions have drawn admiration in the community, presents one of the most notable and characteristic Spanish operas next week, with performances on Sunday in Longmont, on Friday, April 7, at Boulder's Dairy Arts Center, and on Sunday, April 9, in Broomfield. The staging of the one-act "Goyescas" by Spanish nationalist composer Enrique Granados will follow a prelude consisting of six numbers from contemporary zarzuelas.

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"We really wanted to do something in Spanish," Dianela Acosta, Boulder Opera executive and artistic director, said. "We think that appealing to a new audience in the Latino community will help us be inclusive." Acosta, herself originally from Spain, said that the opera would be presented in a neutral standard Spanish rather than specifically in the Castilian dialect.

"Goyescas" was premiered at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1916, the first ever opera sung in Spanish there. World War I prevented a premiere in Paris. Granados based the opera on melodies from his very popular piano suite of the same name, which is still in the standard late romantic repertoire. Both works are inspired by paintings of Spanish artist Francisco Goya.

Those paintings, and hence the opera's story, were inspired by the young men and women of the "majismo" movement, where the lower classes of Spanish society delighted in elaborate outfits and cheeky "bohemian" attitudes. The mean-spirited bickering between a majo-maja pair and a higher-class couple leads to the almost absurd tragedy that ends the opera.

The opera ended up contributing indirectly to its composer's death. After the successful New York premiere, President Woodrow Wilson invited Granados to perform a piano recital at the White House. This delayed his trip back to Europe, and he and his wife perished when the "Sussex" was torpedoed by a German submarine.

Unlike any other opera

Acosta called the music of "Goyescas" beautiful and complex, but attractive and lively, with a heavy dance element. In Boulder Opera's usual formula of a traveling production at non-traditional venues, the singers will share the stage with an orchestra that includes members of the Boulder Philharmonic. The action will be on the left, the players on the right in each venue.

Rafael Rodriguez, a doctoral student in orchestral conducting at the University of Colorado, will direct the ensemble. The Mexican-born U.S. citizen is also music director of the Boulder Concert Band. Granados called for a large orchestra, and Rodriguez has adapted the score for a smaller group while still striving to maintain the original character. He and Acosta have both provided perspectives on Spanish diction for the cast.

Stage director Brian Harris, a Colorado native, is himself a trained opera singer. He is founder of the Gatsby Theater Company in Colorado Springs. "I had heard the piano pieces, but never the full opera," Harris said. "I was surprised at how intense and difficult it is. It's unlike any opera the audience will have ever seen."

Harris said that the action is updated to the 1950s and that its plot also fits well with social norms of that period. With the traveling production, there will be heavy reliance on projections, and these will include the Goya paintings that inspired the work. English titles will also be projected.

The lead soprano role of the high-born Rosario will be sung by Sarah Stone, about whose voice and presence Harris raved. "She has a rich, beautiful voice and handles the role with aplomb," he said.

Lyric tenor Joshua Zabatta plays the tragic and jealous Fernando. Thomas Sitzler, described by Harris as a "full Verdi baritone," plays the puckish "majo" Paquiro. The mezzo-soprano role of Pepa, the sharp-tongued "maja," will be taken by Acosta herself.

The "Goyescas" score includes a rather well-known orchestral intermezzo, and Acosta said that as a special treat, flamenco dancer Natalia Villar will dance during the piece. Villar also helped choreograph the dance scenes in the opera. "It's a great multidisciplinary experience for everyone," Acosta said.

There is also an ensemble of majos and majas that plays an important role in the action. These singers will be featured in the preceding zarzuela numbers. These include pieces by various Spanish composers, including Francisco Barbieri, Manuel Caballero, Emilio Arrieta, Ernesto Lecuona and Manuel de Falla. The latter composer is familiar to classical music audiences for compositions such as the ballet score "The Three-Cornered Hat." Falla's musical style was heavily influenced by Granados.

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